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Final Fantasy XV Director Is Aiming For A Tearjerker Ending

It’s likely we’re fast approaching a boatload of new Final Fantasy XV information, considering that the release date’s confirmation has been teased for this month as well as E3 being a few months away. While fans of the series patiently wait through what looks to be the final year of development for a title conceived all the way back in 2006, Hajime Tabata, the game’s director, has hinted at an interesting tidbit regarding the game’s story.

In a recent interview with Game Informer, Tabata stated that he is aiming for an ending that will not only satisfy players who sink their time into the lengthy adventure, but move them as well:

“I want to create a very emotional ending to the game, and want to make as many people cry as possible. You’re spending so many hours playing the game, so when I finish a game and it ends on a sour note and it doesn’t move me, it gets me disappointed.”

The development team includes many Square Enix employees who worked on Final Fantasy VII almost 20 years ago, and they are specifically citing the beloved PS1 title as the emotional standard they want to meet and exceed.

As someone who got into the series a bit later than most, I’d say that while a certain death scene in that game certainly left an impact on gamers, Final Fantasy X has the more emotional conclusion. Darkness and tragedy are common elements in the plots of the main Final Fantasy games, but some end on a happier note than others, and if this news is anything to go by, the world-spanning journey of Noctis and company may not have an ending that’s all sunshine and roses. Whether it will be one that truly resonates with players remains to be seen.

Final Fantasy XV is scheduled to release this year on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.